A riser is typically used to shield cables extending to and from junction boxes or directly up from the ground to one or more target locations. The use of an upright riser, for example, is to transition cable(s) from underground to overhead construction and is commonly found mounted to a utility pole for running a cable up from the ground to a point of connection that may reside higher up along the utility pole. See FIG. 1.
Presently, the transition space at the riser opening where the cables extend out from an open end of a riser is either unsealed and fully exposed to the entry of external elements (e.g., debris, weather, wildlife, foreign objects, etc.), or is sealed to some extent by the use of a sealing compound such as a putty or foam applied to the open end of the riser around the protruding cables. These existing solutions, however, fail to provide an effective and manageable approach to sealing the riser opening from external elements and from preventing external elements, particularly rain water, from entering the riser. Rain water, for example, may collect in the vertical underground sections, thereby submerging those cables under water. The water may also flow into the building and into contact with electrical components such as metering devices, panel boards, and distribution centers, thereby causing corrosion, short-circuiting and damage to those components. An effectively sealed opening will also deter entry into the riser by small rodents, thereby shielding the cable from chewing damage.
Common problems that arise, for example, with current sealing methods are that they do not provide a solution for accommodating a plurality of cables of varying gauges extending out from a single riser. Additionally, sealing compounds tend to break down over time and can be difficult to remove, which can be particularly limiting when the need arises to add new cables or make repairs to existing cables in the riser.
It would thus be desirable to provide an improved solution for shielding and sealing around cables extending out from an open end of a riser, including services of multiple size cables in a common conduit, while providing a protective barrier from the elements downstream of the open end of the riser. One application of the invention would be to use one at the pole and one at each electrical or communication cable entry point to the enclosure or equipment in the building at every utility service to the customer's premises.